Tracy Luttrell St. Louis

Are You Prepared For Your Next Marathon: Tracy Luttrell St. Louis

Are You Prepared For Your Next Marathon: Tracy Luttrell St. Louis

Running a marathon can be daunting but with adequate preparation and training, crossing that finish line some 26.2 miles away will be a cinch! To help you become stronger and faster, here are a few things you should be mindful of when it comes to training:

Working on your mileage – One of the reasons why some runners end up puking on the sidelines at the end of the race is because they haven’t prepared their body enough. The key to preparation lies in constantly working on your mileage, improving it week after week so your body gradually gets accustomed to running marathon lengths.

This may sound so simple and basic but you’d be surprised at how many runners push their bodies to extremes only to end up punishing it, rather than make progress. If you’re a beginner, you can start small and run a total of 10 to 15 miles per week, increasing it bit by bit in small intervals until you can run 50 miles comfortably.

For more experienced runners, starting small wouldn’t hurt but 30 miles total ought to be a good enough start until they can run 50 miles. Both beginners and veterans should just be mindful to keep their weekly increase under 10% of the previous week’s total. This kind of approach will help the runner focus more on endurance rather than merely being able to run longer distances.

Overall, working on weekly mileage will still depend on the runner as no two runners are ever the same.

Tweaking your training plan – Aside from increasing your mileage, you can also include speed work or running at a marathon pace in your training. Doing a few long runs a month or two before the big day is also recommended as this can help you gauge your speed and endurance.

Clothing, shoes, and gear – Just because you’re all sweaty and exhausted doesn’t mean you can’t look good! This is why a lot of the sportswear nowadays has become more fashionable and trendy. Just keep in mind to wear the same shoes and clothing you would during training on race day. As all runners will tell you, even if it’s just a new jersey or tank you’ll be wearing, you should never try anything new on the big day! It’s just not worth the risk or trouble as everything should be familiar to you now, like clockwork.